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Show Kathleen Norris Says: Should She Marry Him? (Bell Syndicate WNU Service.) I Even if Hugh turns out to be m tcamp h will hardly b Mt to do anything any-thing crueller to Sally than did the weak mother who let 19-year-old girl go out to night clubs, dancing with men the hardly knew, and to be brought home, when her mm escort failed her, by a drunken stranger. By KATHLEEN NORRIS SOMETIMES second thoughts are so curiously different from first ones that one finds oneself, somewhat some-what shamefacedly, completely com-pletely reversing the original position. That's what happened hap-pened to me after I read this letter, which presents a strange and unusual problem. "My dear Mrs. Norris," writes a Pittsburgh woman who signs herself only "Troubled Mother," "I am a widow with two daughters, Sally and Betsey. Sally, now 23, was injured in-jured four years ago when returning return-ing from an evening party. Her father fa-ther had refused to let her go, but her escort was a boy we had known for some time and I finally yielded and said yes. Unfortunately the boy became affected by drink on this occasion, oc-casion, and Sally came home with another group. There was a terrible terri-ble accident, one of the girls and the driver were killed, and something some-thing happened to Sally's spine so that she never can walk. I have always al-ways felt that grief over this tragedy shortened my husband's life. He died of flu the following winter. Confined to Wheel Chair. "Fortunately we were left well provided for, and although unfortunate unfortu-nate Investments have somewhat lessened our holdings, I have been able to provide my girls with a charming home, garden, music, education, ed-ucation, hospitality. My Sally is a beautiful creature, wheeling herself about from porch to garden, refusing refus-ing to be invalided. They tell me there is no reason why she should not be a wife and even a mother. "That is the problem. About a year ago she met a doctor who was born and whose family lives in this city. He is romantically good-looking, steady, ambitious and successful, success-ful, and my poor little girl fell madly mad-ly in love with him at once and can think of nothing but Hugh. "He liked her, and was always gentle and brotherly and sympathetic sympathet-ic with her. They talked books, music, mu-sic, played games, but Hugh never made love to Sally, even when visibly vis-ibly she grew almost frantic with the emotions that were too much for her. Finally I told Hugh of the situation. situa-tion. He was much amazed and very thoughtful, saying that at 34 he had been once or twice in love but that he had never thought of Sally In that connection, had Indeed made a sort of petted little sister of her. He said he would think about It Wants Entire Estate. "When he brought me his answer it was this. That he really loved Sally without being in love with her and was very fond of Betsey, too. Betsey is 19. He said he would marry Sally if I would make over to him my home and my properties proper-ties and all the girls' properties and give him the complete management of the estate. That on no other terms would he consider the arrangement, ar-rangement, as Sally must always have an attendant near her and he felt the responsibility too much otherwise. oth-erwise. Sally and Betsey will inherit in-herit their share when Betsey is 25. I told him I felt deeply ashamed that I had betrayed my child by making him the original suggestion. "He was called away at Just this time for a three months stay in a Chicago hospital, and Sally drooped almost into illness. She grew thin and pale, lost all her animation, and became a shadow of herself. Nothing Noth-ing we could do roused her, but when Hugh returned 10 days ago she suddenly blossomed into radiance radi-ance again and sent for him at once. After a long talk he told me that he was still willing to accept my proposition, but on his own terms. I temporized, feeling that Sally's whole future is at stake, and m sending you an air-mail envelope with an assumed name so that I WHAT TO DO . . . Sully It a cripple . . . she's in love with Hugh . . . and Sally's mother wonders whether to meet Hugh's terms or sacrifice her daughter's wishes. It's a hard question, especially es-pecially since Sully's inactivity is due to a tragic event that would never have occurred had her mother moth-er been wiser four years before. Don't fail to read Kathleen Norris' broad-minded, revealing answer to this "Troubled Mother." may have your answer within a few days." Not a Fortune-Hunter. That's the gist of the letter, and as I say my first impulse was quite different from my second as to answering an-swering it. I felt that Hugh was a fortune hunter who would sacrifice honor for money, get possession of the entire worldly wealth of a widow wid-ow with two young daughters, and then perhaps ill-treat his wife to the point where she would pass out of the picture entirely. But on second thought I realized that this letter from Sally's mother reveals more than she probably suspected. sus-pected. For one thing, Sally's father fa-ther didn't want her to go on that fatal night party that ended her young gay dancing days so tragically, tragical-ly, and for another Sally's mother hasn't been any too successful in her management of the estate since her widowhood. Arrangement Could Be Happy One. It is highly possible that Hugh sees that if she is allowed to go on making foolish investments there will soon be nothing left for anyone, any-one, whereas if he handles it wisely and sensibly they will all be better off. At 34 a doctor has reached an age to think of marriage and fatherhood, fa-therhood, and although Sally can never go with him to movies or dances or banquets, it is highly possible pos-sible that with her intelligence, devotion, de-votion, sweetness she can make a home for hirn that will rival all these amusements. If he is a charlatan he certainly hasn't betrayed it in his past history. his-tory. He has a fine position and has already made himself a distinguished dis-tinguished figure in his own field. He will give Sally a very ecstasy of happiness, and it seems to me her chances of successful wifehood are as good, or possibly better, than those of girls who have had everything every-thing their own way, who think of nothing but themselves, and who never have had the stern discipline disci-pline thet Sally has had. A Good Risk. So I sent in "Troubled Mother's" envelope my advice that the risk was a good one. All marriages are risks, and Sally's own opinion of the man she loves might be considered some indication of his worthiness. When Sally's troubled mother dies, be it few or many years from now, it will surely be a satisfaction to her to know that Sally is in safe hands, that there is a man who loves her, and who is into the bargajn a good doctor, close Deside her. The small amount of pride the "troubled mother" will have to swallow is insignificant compared with the happiness which Sally will receive by marrying the man she loves. Even if Hugh turns out to be a scamp he will hardly be able to do anything crueller to Sally than did the weak mother who let a 19-year-old girl go out to night clubs, dancing danc-ing with men she hardly knew, and to be brought home, when her own escort , failed her, by a drunken stranger. Two-thirds of our traffic accidents happen at night; thousands thou-sands of them happen when dazed, sleepy youngsters stumble out of road houses, stupid with poor food, bad drink, bad air, smoke and noise. The problem of Sally's life never would have tc be solved today if a wiser mother bad solved it four years ago. |
